Stephen Stetler

Business and legislative career Stetler left teaching in 1977 and moved to Harrisburg to begin working for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. He was elected House Democratic Policy Committee Chairman in 2003, making him part of the caucus leadership. As a member of the board of Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, a governmental student financial aid organization, Stetler and his wife were criticized for "posh" accommodations and retreats that were paid for with PHEAA funds.

Stetler did not run for re-election during the 2006 general election, at least partially because of voter backlash over his vote in favor of the 2005 General Assembly pay raise. He resigned his seat in September in order to become executive director of the Pennsylvania Economy League.

Tenure as Secretary of Revenue In November 2008, he was named Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, succeeding Thomas W. Wolf. He was unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania State Senate on March 31, 2009. He resigned that position on December 15, 2009, hours before being charged with one count of conflict of interest, four counts of theft, and one count of criminal conspiracy by Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett (R), who has been investigating the practices of the House Democratic Caucus as a part of the "Bonusgate" investigations. An appeal by the PA Attorney General to dismiss the appeal was denied by the PA Supreme Court.

On July 12, 2019, after Mr. Stetler's convictions were vacated and Mr. Stetler was awarded a new trial, Mr. Stetler entered a no contest plea to an ungraded misdemeanor offense of Failure to File Report; the remaining counts of which Mr. Stetler were previously convicted were vacated in their entirety and dismissed with prejudice.